Artemisia annua L. (Asteraceae) is a herb of Asiatic and Eastern European origin that has been also naturalised in USA. This species is receiving considerable attention because of the antimalarial activity of artemisinin of formula (1) a sesquiterpene lactone endoperoxide which is present in its aerial parts. In clinical trials, mainly performed in southeast Asia, artemisinin and a series of semi-synthetic derivatives have been proved to be effective against Plasmodium parasites with resistance to the commonly used antimalarial drugs. Now, efforts are being made to make these drugs cheaply available worldwide. In addition, A. annua is valued for its essential oil which has characteristic sweet aroma. Its application in perfumery, cosmetics, aromatherapy and as an antimicrobial, dermatological, fungicidal agents may provide an additional market for essential oil.
Artemisinic acid of formula (2) is the bio-synthetic precursor of artemisinin, which are generally present in greater quantity that artemisinin in A. annua plant. Artemisinic acid can be converted into artemisinin in good yield, thereby artemisinin amount obtained directly from the plant is increased 3-4 folds.